Tonight, I'm Your Santa
by Fuusaki
Summary: Well, he had to be somebody's Santa. "It's not Zura; tonight, I am Ikumatsu's Santa." ZuraIku 8D


**Tonight, I'm Your Santa**

**Anime**: Gintama

**Major Pairings**: Katsura x Ikumatsu

**Summary**: "Zura ja nai; Konban, ore wa Ikumatsu no Santa da." Well, he _had_ to be _somebody_'s Santa. "It's not Zura; tonight, I am Ikumatsu's Santa."

**Disclaimer**: Bleeeruh. No.

Snow fell gently on the streets of Oedo, coating the land in a thick, fluffy layer of white. In the winter season, there was nothing Katsura liked better than to hang out at Ikumatsu's ramen shop, where he usually discussed his Jouishishi business with his faithful followers in the warmth of the roaring fire.

"Elizabeth," he said as he trudged through the snow with his faithful follower. She looked at him and held up her sign. **Yes?**

"Did you know that if you make a wish on Christmas Eve, three wishes are granted to them?"

**No. When on earth did you make up that silly custom?**

Katsura smiled. "I was just thinking," he said softly, gazing up at the red sun as it slowly set behind the mountains. All around him, people were scurrying here and there, necks buried in their scarves, eager to get home and rest. "I wonder how long it is until Christmas Eve," he said out loud.

**You're hopeless. You don't even know when Christmas is.**

"That's not true, Elizabeth. I just forgot the date today."

Elizabeth appeared disgruntled for some reason and Katsura decided not to press on as they entered the shop. Hokuto Shinken, Ikumatsu's ramen shop was unusually empty tonight, deprived of all its customers. Katsura felt the warmth creep into his fingers and toes as he stepped into the shop. Ikumatsu looked up from behind the counter.

"What is it?" she asked wearily, eyes following Katsura as he sat in his usual corner. "Are you finally going to order something, or are you just going to sit there as usual?"

There was something strange about the way she was avoiding his eyes; she seemed more worn than usual and there was some hint of unhappiness in her voice that Katsura couldn't quite place.

"Elizabeth, do you want anything?" Katsura asked the giant duck, not knowing what to reply to her.

**If I order, will you?**

"Well, yes…" Even Elizabeth was acting strange. Katsura wondered inwardly what was wrong with the world, but decided to ignore it and ordered ramen for both of them. When Ikumatsu brought their ramen around, Elizabeth held up her sign again.

**Why don't you join us? It'll make the atmosphere better if we talk.**

Ikumatsu smiled. "What's there to talk about on a cold winter's day like this?"

**Anything, as long as you have the heart to.**

There was a rather awkward silence. Katsura shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "So, how is business lately?" he asked, attempting to break the crushing silence that was beginning to unnerve him. Ikumatsu looked down.

"It hasn't been that good. The Shinsengumi are as active as always ever since…" her voice trailed off as her woeful past caught up with her. Katsura felt a twinge of guilt as he remembered who had been responsible for her husband's death and ruining her dream of running Oedo's best ramen shop.

"Say, Daigo died some time near Christmas, right?"

Ikumatsu looked away. "Yes, I believe so."

"Do you miss him?" he pressed on, not noticing Elizabeth's _**Please leave her alone**_ sign. She stood up.

"Please excuse me," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "I have some other things to take care of…"

She left the duo alone. Katsura looked at Elizabeth, whose never changing expression showed no expression at all and shrugged.

"Women. Who knows what they're thinking?"

Elizabeth said nothing.

They finished their ramen in silence and waited for a few minutes for Ikumatsu to come back, but when she didn't turn up, they both left the shop. As they entered the cold, Elizabeth held up her sign.

**Please excuse me, but I need to go visit the Yorozuya.**

"Huh?" Katsura looked at the alien in surprise. "What for?"

**To give a present, of course.**

Katsura developed a puzzled look. "Present?"

**Tonight is Christmas Eve. I'm going to see Sadaharu.**

As Elizabeth trudged away into the distance, Katsura wondered vaguely what he was missing out. He had never been great with feelings and emotions, and he really couldn't understand Elizabeth's unusual behaviour. He turned around to head back home, but then obvious suddenly struck him.

"Oh…" he buried his face in his hands. How could he have not noticed the hundred signs that Elizabeth had been giving him? Ikumatsu's unhappy expressions and the looks she had given him during dinner… he turned around and began to head back to Hokuto Shinken, but then stopped.

No. he couldn't possibly face her again in this manner. He had to come up with a better plan to stand up to her after being so arrogant towards her feelings. His mind began to tick as he wondered what could possibly appeal to the strong-willed owner of a ramen shop…

**~X~**

It was near midnight when he finally got ready. He hurried towards the ramen shop, eager to catch her before she went home because he had no idea where she lived. When he reached the shop, however, the blinds were closed down and the shop was dark and empty. Heart thumping with disappointment, he began to head back home and laugh it all off with Elizabeth when the footprints in the snow caught his attention. They were still deep and fresh, despite the flurry of falling snow. _She can't be far yet_, Katsura thought, tracing the footsteps back to the owner. _Please, please, I need to catch her tonight… just this once…_

It _was_ Christmas Eve, after all. He only hoped that the high heavens would grant this one, futile wish of a foolish, confused and selfish man.

**~X~**

Her hands felt cold and stiff as she griped on the umbrella handle to keep the snow off her already frozen body. What a lousy evening—business had been bad, worst than usual lately and life was hard. Ikumatsu never knew what she expected; she knew that her dead husband would have wanted her to be happy, to find another soul mate instead of grieving over his death, but she could never bring herself to it. That is, before she met Katsura Kotaro. She had thought, through the events involving her brother-in-law's betrayal, that he might be the one to understand her, even if only a little. But tonight's events only proved that he was just another man, another outsider who didn't know anything. What was she feeling now? Was it disappointment? Or was it anger? She couldn't tell; she was too caught up in her own thoughts to decide.

Her ears vaguely caught the sound of running footsteps in the distance, but she didn't look back as she thought about her dream of running the best ramen shop in Oedo. She smiled to herself; it had seemed like an incredible dream to her back then, something that she could do. When she was young, nothing seemed impossible; the world was huge and tiny at the same time to her eyes. At the moment, however, it was even bigger than before, and worst, it was empty, just like how she felt at the moment. She smiled at her own foolishness.

"What did I expect anyway?" she mused out loud, stopping and looking up at the sky. "What did I expect from the world in the first place?"

"I don't know," said a familiar voice behind her. Her breath caught in her throat two strong, warm hands wrapped around her own cold ones and she felt the presence of another face close to hers. "But I think I understand enough to know what to give you this Christmas."

Ikumatsu twisted her head. "Katsura?" she breathed, looking up at the Jouishishi, doubt and confusion in her eyes. Katsura smiled.

"It's not Katsura," he said gently, brushing away the tears that had started to slide down her cheeks, "Tonight, I'm your Santa."

She turned so that their noses and foreheads touched together. "You didn't have to go through all that trouble of dressing up as a Santa for me," she said, rubbing their noses together playfully.

"I wanted to make it formal," he replied, drawing her even closer to the warmth of his body. "I want to make you happy, but instead, I've made you sad. Will you let me deliver your present now?"

She already knew what it was. "Of course," she said, closing her eyes and leaning in to him. He pressed his lips to her forehead.

"Happy Christmas, Ikumatsu."

"Happy Christmas… Santa."

The snow continued to fall around them, but for both Katsura and Ikumatsu, the winter no longer tasted cold on the tip of their tongues, but rather of the new, fresh spring they would both look forwards to..

**Author's Note**

_Historical fact: The real Katsura that Gintama's Katsura Kotaro was based on eventually married the real Ikumatsu *u* Happy, happy times..._

Just so that you all know, I bought this huge block of chocolate with 72% coca (you know, the oh-so-bitter kind that nobody in their right mind would eat). I finished 5 x 4 = 20 chunks in ten minutes since I was starving after school. Needless to say, I feel sick, even if the chocolate wasn't sweet because I've been brought up to eat bitter chocolate, it tastes sweet to me anyway.

So I'm on high, I guess. I think I'm simply writing this to lower my blood sugar 8D


End file.
